Learn All About The Six Wives Of Henry VIII, Their Lives & Deaths | Historic Royal Palaces Find out more about the lives (and deaths) of Henry VIII's six wives Katherine of Aragon Divorced The first of Henry VIII's six wives, Katherine of Aragon (1485-1536) was a Spanish princess who was married to Henry for 18 years before he began divorce proceedings in his desperation to re-marry and produce a male heir. Katherine had been pregnant six times but only one daughter, Princess Mary, later Mary I , had survived. Dying in 1536, Katherine wrote to Henry: 'Lastly, I make this vow, that mine eyes desire you above all things. Farewell.' Anne Boleyn Beheaded The second of Henry VIII's six wives, Anne Boleyn (c1501-1536) was married to the King for only three years from 1533-1536. Instead of the sought after male heir, Anne was pregnant with another princess, Elizabeth (later Elizabeth I ). Anne was supported by religious reformers but was also hated by many at court.

After a miscarriage, her fate was sealed and she was arrested (and later executed at the Tower of London) for adultery and incest. Jane Seymour Died Jane Seymour (c1509-1537) was the third of Henry VIII's six wives and the only wife to provide the King with the much longed for son and male heir. Having married Henry in May 1536, she gave birth to Prince Edward (later Edward VI) at Hampton Court Palace in 1537 but died soon afterwards. Henry had his son but grieved: 'Providence has mingled my joy with the bitterness of the death of her who brought me this happiness.' Anne of Cleves Divorced Anne of Cleves (1515-1557) was the fourth of Henry VIII's six wives and at 24 was half Henry's age when they married in January 1540. Henry first saw Anne of Cleves in a painting by Hans Holbein but in the flesh, Henry found Anne unattractive and began pursuing one of her maids of honour, Catherine Howard. After six months the marriage was annulled yet Anne remained in England and on good terms with Henry VIII.

He commanded that she be treated as 'the king's sister' Catherine Howard Beheaded Henry VIII's fifth wife was an alluring teenager named Catherine Howard (c1522-1542). Married three weeks after his second divorce, rumours of Catherine's past and present love affairs reached a furious Henry. She was arrested at Hampton Court Palace and later taken to the Tower of London where she was beheaded in February 1542, aged about 21. Kateryn Parr Katherine Parr Buried: 5 September 1548 St Mary's Chapel, Sudeley Castle Katherine Parr was the eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Parr and his wife Maud Green, both of whom were at the court of Henry VIII in his early reign. Maud was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon and named her daughter, born in 1512, after her. So, Henry VIII’s last wife was named after his first. Thomas Parr died in November 1517, leaving his three children, William , Katherine and Anne in the care of their mother.

Maud managed the children’s education and the family estates and must have left an impression on her daughter of the greater role an independent woman could have in society. The education that Maud arranged for the children was similar to that of other noble figures of the time and at least in the case of Katherine, it ignited a life-long passion for learning. She was fluent in French, Latin and Italian and began learning Spanish when she was Queen. Katherine Parr’s first marriage was to Edward Borough, the son of Thomas, third Baron Borough of Gainsborough in 1529 when she was 17 years old. Edward died only a few years later, probably in early 1533. It was during this marriage that Katherine’s mother Maud died, in December 1531. Katherine’s second marriage was to John Neville, third Baron Latimer of Snape Castle in Yorkshire, whom she married in the summer of 1534 when he was 41 and she was 22. Latimer had two children from his previous marriages so Katherine also became a stepmother for the first time.

During the Pilgrimage of Grace a rebel mob forced Latimer to join them and later took Katherine and her stepchildren hostage at the castle. Latimer was able to eventually secure their freedom and managed to escape arrest for his associations with the rebellion after it was finally put down. Katherine’s ailing husband died in March 1543, leaving her a widow for the second time, now at the age of 31. It was around this time that Katherine was noticed by not only the King, but also Thomas Seymour , brother of the late Queen Jane Seymour . Katherine expressed her desire to marry Thomas Seymour after Latimer’s death, but the King’s request for her hand was one that Katherine felt it was her duty to accept. Katherine and Henry VIII were married on July 12th in the Queen’s closet at Hampton Court Palace in a small ceremony attended by about 20 people. Katherine was interested in the reformed faith, making her enemies with the conservatives of Henry’s court. It was Katherine’s influence with the King and the Henry’s failing health that led to a plot against her in 1546 by the conservative faction.

Katherine and her ladies were known to have had banned books which was grounds for arrest and execution on charges of heresy. To gain evidence against the Queen, Anne Askew , a well-known and active Protestant, was questioned and tortured, but refused to recant her faith or give evidence against Katherine and her ladies. However, there was enough other evidence against the Queen to issue a warrant for her arrest. The warrant was accidentally dropped and someone loyal to the Queen saw it and then quickly told her about it. This is a well-documented incident that has made its way into many historical fiction accounts. Sometimes the history itself is the best drama! After learning of the arrest warrant, Katherine was said to be very ill, either as a ruse to stall or from a genuine panic attack. Henry went to see her and chastised her for her outspokenness about the reformed religion and his feeling that she was forgetting her place by instructing him on such matters. Katherine’s response in her defense was that she was only arguing with him on these issues so she could be instructed by him, and to take his mind off other troubles. Playing to Henry’s ego no doubt helped and Katherine was forgiven.

Katherine was close with all three of her stepchildren as Henry’s wife and was personally involved in the educational program of the younger two, Elizabeth and Edward . She was also a patron of the arts and music. Katherine’s own learning and academic achievements, as alluded to previously, were impressive, and in 1545, her book “Prayers or Meditations” became the first work published by an English Queen under her own name. Another book, “The Lamentation of a Sinner”, was published after Henry VIII’s death. Henry VIII died in January 1547 and Katherine had probably expected to play some role in the regency for the new nine-year-old king, Edward VI, but this was not to be. Only a few months after Henry’s death, Katherine secretly married Thomas Seymour, but the quickness and secret nature of the union caused a scandal. Katherine was still able to take guardianship of Princess Elizabeth and Seymour purchased the wardship of the king’s cousin, Lady Jane Grey . It was during this time that the rumors of a relationship between Elizabeth and Seymour arose and Elizabeth was sent to another household in the spring of 1548.

After three previous marriages and at the age of 36, Katherine was pregnant for the first time and in June 1548, she moved to Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire to await the birth of her child. On August 30th she gave birth to a daughter named Mary. Katherine soon fell ill with puerperal fever, which was to claim her life in the morning hours of September 5th. Katherine was buried, with Lady Jane Grey as the chief mourner, in the chapel at Sudeley Castle, where the tomb can still be visited today. The Tudors - The Six Wives of Henry VIII | HistoryOnTheNet The Tudors The Tudors - The Six Wives of Henry VIII Last Updated: 01/17/2017 - 11:37 For more information on counter-intuitive facts of ancient and medieval history, see Anthony Esolen's The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization .

Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Kathryn Howard, Katherine Parr Divorced, beheaded, died; Divorced beheaded survived This popular rhyme tells of the fate of Henry VIII's six wives Catherine of Aragon - Henry VIII's first wife and mother of Mary I Catherine was the youngest daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain and she came to England in 1501 at the age of 16 to marry Henry VII's eldest son and heir to the throne, Arthur. By 1527 Henry was having serious doubts about his marriage to Catherine. He believed that he had no sons because God was punishing him for having married his brother's wife. He had found a passage in the Bible that backed this belief. He had also fallen for Anne Boleyn, the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, who had recently returned to England from the French court. Catherine refused to grant Henry a divorce or retire to a convent . Henry therefore began the Reformation in England so that he could divorce Catherine without the Pope 's permission and marry Anne Boleyn. Catherine was divorced by Henry in 1533 and died in 1536.

Anne Boleyn - Henry VIII's second wife and mother of Elizabeth. Anne Boleyn was born in 1501. At the age of fourteen she was sent with her sister, Mary, to the French court as a maid to Queen Claude. She returned to England in 1522 and attracted many admirers. Her sister, Mary managed to attract the King's attention and became his mistress. In 1526 Henry asked Anne to become his mistress, but she refused because he was a married man. Henry was determined to win Anne Boleyn and became determined to divorce Catherine and marry Anne. The couple eventually secretly married in 1533 after Anne became pregnant. The King's second marriage was not popular. Many people believed that Anne was a witch and had cast a spell on Henry. When the baby was born in September 1533 Henry was cross that the baby was a girl. She was called Elizabeth. Henry and Anne began arguing. Although Anne became pregnant twice more each time the babies were stillborn. Henry was by now tired of Anne and wanted rid of her.

He had no intention of waiting for a divorce so his ministers invented evidence showing that Anne had been unfaithful and had plotted the death of the King. She was found guilty and was executed in May 1536. Jane Seymour - Henry VIII's third wife and mother or Edward VI. Jane Seymour was a quiet shy girl who attracted Henry because she was so different to his first two wives, Catherine and Anne. Henry married Jane Seymour just 11 days after the death of Anne Boleyn. He was 45 years old, Jane was 28. Although Henry became concerned when Jane did not become pregnant immediately, he was delighted when she gave birth to a son, Edward, in October 1538. Henry was very upset when Jane died a month later. On his deathbed, Henry requested to be buried next to Jane. Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's fourth wife. She was divorced after six months. After the death of Jane, Henry remained single for two years. He had the son that he had wanted for so long and although Edward was weak and sickly, he continued to live.

Having broken free from Rome in the 1530s England was isolated from much of Europe and Henry's advisers thought it would be a good idea for him to marry a German princess and make an alliance with the other great Protestant nation in Europe - Germany. Two suitable princesses were chosen and Hans Holbein was sent to paint their portraits. The girls were sisters and daughters of the Duke of Cleves. Henry chose the older daughter, Anne, to be his fourth wife. The 24 year old German Princess arrived in England in December 1539, However, Henry was horrified when he saw her and demanded that his ministers find him a way out of the marriage. Unfortunately for Henry they could not and the marriage went ahead in January 1540. Henry was unable to consummate the marriage and the couple divorced amicably six months later. Anne was well provided for and lived out her days in England in comfort. She outlived Henry and died in 1557. Kathryn Howard, Henry VIII's fifth wife. She was executed for adultery after two years of marriage. Henry had chosen his fifth wife before his divorce to Anne was finalised.

The lady in question was the 15 year old daughter of Edmund Howard, Kathryn, cousin of Anne Boleyn. The marriage took place in July 1540. Henry was 49 years old, overweight and unable to walk far due to his weight and an injury to his leg that festered and refused to heal. Kathryn was young, lively and flirtatious. She was bored with having an old husband and sought out young friends among the courtiers. Unfortunately for Kathryn one of the courtiers in question was a man named Francis Dereham who had known Katherine before her marriage. He knew that she had had affairs before her marriage and used this to bribe her into giving him a good position at court. Katherine's actions led to her being accused of adultery and subsequently executed in 1542. Katherine Parr Henry VIII's sixth wife. She outlived Henry and died in 1548. Henry married for the sixth time in 1543. The lady in question was Katherine Parr who had been twice widowed. She was a kindly lady and proved a good stepmother to the King's three children.

She was also an excellent nursemaid and bathed Henry's leg wound and comforted him when he was sick. She came close to being tried for treason in 1546 when her enemies at court attempted to prove that she was a committed Protestant. However, she managed to convince Henry that she was loyal to him and his Church and was spared. After Henry's death she married Edward's uncle, Thomas Seymour. Katherine Parr died in childbirth in 1548. For more information on counter-intuitive facts of ancient and medieval history, see Anthony Esolen's The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization © 2008. You can find it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. You can also check it out by clicking on the buttons to the left. Quiz: BBC History - Henry VIII Henry VIII Henry VIII Henry VIII is one of the most famous kings in English history. He was the second Tudor monarch and was well-known for having six wives. His break with the papacy in Rome established the Church of England and began the Reformation.

Image: Henry VIII (1491–1547) by Hans Holbein the younger (Getty Images) More information about: Henry VIII Henry, the second son of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, was born on 28 June 1491 at Greenwich Palace. After the death of his elder brother Arthur in 1502, Henry became heir to the English throne. King of England When Henry VII died in 1509, this popular eighteen-year-old prince, known for his love of hunting and dancing, became King Henry VIII. Soon after he obtained the papal dispensation required to allow him to marry his brother's widow, Catherine of Aragon. In the first years of his reign Henry VIII effectively relied on Thomas Wolsey to rule for him, and by 1515 Henry had elevated him to the highest role in government: Lord Chancellor. In 1521 Pope Leo X conferred the title of Defender of the Faith on Henry for his book 'Assertio Septem Sacramentorum', which affirmed the supremacy of the Pope in the face of the reforming ideals of the German theologian, Martin Luther.

Military might Henry VIII's early military campaigns began when he joined Pope Julius II's Holy League against France in 1511. Wolsey proved himself to be an outstanding minister in his organisation of the first French campaign and while the Scots saw this war as an opportunity to invade England, they were defeated at Flodden in 1513. However war with France ultimately proved expensive and unsuccessful. Henry VIII is known as the 'father of the Royal Navy.' When he became king there were five royal warships. By his death he had built up a navy of around 50 ships. He refitted several vessels with the latest guns including the Mary Rose, which sank in 1545. Henry also built the first naval dock in Britain at Portsmouth and in 1546 he established the Navy Board. This set up the administrative machinery for the control of the fleet. A male heir Henry was acutely aware of the importance of securing a male heir during his reign. He was worried that he had only one surviving child, Mary, to show for his marriage to Catherine, who was now in her 40s.

So the king asked Cardinal Wolsey to appeal to Pope Clement VII for an annulment and it soon became clear he wanted to marry Anne Boleyn, who had been a lady-in-waiting to his first wife. But, unwilling to anger Catherine of Aragon's nephew – the most powerful ruler in Europe, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V – the Pope refused. Thomas Wolsey's ascendancy was cut short by this failure. In 1533, Henry VIII broke with the church and married the now pregnant Anne Boleyn in a secret ceremony. Henry was excommunicated by the Pope. The English reformation had begun. Head of the Church After Wolsey's downfall, Thomas Cromwell became Henry's chief minister and earned the confidence of the King by helping him to break with Rome and establish Henry VIII as head of the Church of England. This act also brought him much needed wealth through the dissolution of the well-funded monasteries. Over four years Cromwell ordered that 800 monasteries be disbanded and their lands and treasures taken for the crown. The cultural and social impact was significant, as much of the land was sold to the gentry and churches and monasteries were gutted and destroyed.

Henry's personal religious beliefs remained Catholic, despite the growing number of people at court and in the nation who had adopted Protestantism. Anne Boleyn In September 1533 Anne gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth I). Henry had grown tired of her, and after two further pregnancies ended in miscarriages, she was arrested in 1536 on trumped up charges of adultery and publicly beheaded at the Tower of London. Henry's third marriage, this time to lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour, finally produced the son he so desperately desired with the birth of Edward in 1537. Jane Seymour died after childbirth and Henry ordered that she be granted a queen's funeral. In an attempt to establish ties with the German Protestant alliance, Thomas Cromwell arranged a marriage between the king and German princess Anne of Cleves. The marriage was a disaster and Henry divorced Anne a few months later. Henry blamed Cromwell for this mismatch and soon afterwards had him executed for treason. Final Years The final years of his reign witnessed Henry VIII's physical decline and an increasing desire to appear all-powerful. Henry continued with fruitless and expensive campaigns against Scotland and France.

In 1540, the aging King married the teenage Catherine Howard. Their marriage was short lived. It was alleged that she had a previous relationship with Henry's courtier Francis Dereham and an affair with another courtier Thomas Culpeper. Catherine was executed for adultery and treason in 1542. Henry's final marriage to Catherine Parr, who acted like a nurse, was more harmonious and she would go on to outlive him. Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547 and was succeeded by his son, Edward VI. He was buried next to Jane Seymour in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Six Wives The Six Wives of King Henry VIII by Allison Hendee, Jackie Williams, and Karen Williams To King Henry VII of England, a second son, Prince Henry,was born at the Greenwich Palace, London, on June 28, 1491. After Arthur, his older brother, died, Henry was left heir to the throne. He went on to become the most formidable and famous king who ever reigned in England.

His handsome physical appearance&emdash; very tall with broad shoulders, strong athletic limbs, and fair skin&emdash; added to his popularity. Throughout his reign King Henry VIII was married six different times. He married for both political and formal reasons. Henry married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in June, 1509. Anne Boleyn became his second wife in secret in January, 1533. Jane Seymour, Henry's third wife, provided him the much desired heir to the throne in October, 1537. Henry married Anne of Cleves, his fourth wife, under political terms with Western Germany in 1540. Henry's fifth wife, Catherine Howard, was Anne of Cleves's maid of honor. She married Henry in 1540 also. Finally, Catherine Parr helped to bring his family together when they married in July, 1543. Catherine Parr outlived King Henry VIII when his glorious reign ended with his death on January 28, 1547. Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, was the widow of King Henry VIII's older brother, Arthur.

Catherine was left widowed after a year of marriage when Arthur died in 1501. It was King Henry VII's dying wish for his son, Henry, to marry Catherine of Aragon. It was important for Henry to keep the alliance between England and Spain. Between the years 1510 and 1518, Catherine gave birth to six children, including two sons, but all except one daughter, Mary, were stillborn or died in early infancy. Catherine was unable to provide a male heir for King Henry VIII, which eventually led to the end of their marriage. Pope Clement VII refused to annul Henry's marriage to Catherine. Henry finally broke with the Roman Catholic church, and his new Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cromwell, had their marriage annulled. Soon after, Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy, making the king head of the English church. Although Catherine was loved by the English people, she was forced to spend the last years of her life isolated from all public life. Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII. They were privately married in January 1533, but the marriage did not become known until Easter of that year.

Anne Boleyn was the mother of the future Queen Elizabeth I, born in September of 1533. During their marriage Henry quickly lost interest in Anne and began to have affairs with other women. All Anne had to do to save their marriage was provide a male heir for the King. After two attempts she failed. Committed to the Tower of London, Anne was charged with adultery and alleged to have been involved in several affairs. On May 19, 1536, she was convicted by a unanimous vote and beheaded. According to many historians, it is very likely that Anne was innocent, but she was declared guilty because of a temporary court faction supported by Thomas Cromwell. Jane Seymour, the mother of King Edward VI, was the third wife of King Henry VIII. Jane was the daughter of one of the King's knights. In Henry's attempts to win Jane, he sent her a love letter and a purse. Jane sent the letter and the purse back unopened with a touching message about her family's honor. The King promised to defend the honor, and they were married May 30, 1536. Jane was the first and only wife to provide King Henry VIII with a proper male heir.

However, Jane was unable to recover from the birth and died twelve days later. The fourth wife of King Henry was Anne of Cleves, a German princess. They were married for political reasons; in fact, Anne was chosen by Thomas Cromwell, the Lord Chancellor. This marriage was politically convenient, as Henry needed a strong political alliance with Lutheran Germany to establish ties between England and the other protestant countries so that England would not become totally isolated. Their marriage soon became a political embarrassment when the alliance between the Catholic powers failed. The marriage was annulled on July 9, 1540. Anne was rewarded with a large income as long as she remained in England and was given the title of "King's Sister." Catherine Howard, one of ten children of Lord Edmund Howard, was Henry's fifth wife. Catherine had been a maid of honor in his previous marriage to Anne of Cleves. Henry's marriage to Anne was annulled on July 9, 1540, and he and Catherine were secretly married on July 28. Catherine had been previously engaged to her cousin, Thomas Culpepper.

She was thought to have had affairs with him and two others&emdash; Henry Mannock, a music teacher, and Francis Dereham. In November 1541, the King learned of these supposed affairs and became irate. He allowed Parliament to pass a bill of attainder declaring it treason for an unchaste woman to marry the king. On February 14, 1542, two days after the bill was passed, Catherine was beheaded in the Tower of London for crimes of treason Catherine Parr was King Henry VIII's sixth and last wife. They were married on July 12, 1543. Catherine was the daughter of Sir Thomas Parr of Kendall, an official of the King's royal household. She had been married twice before her marriage to Henry, having been widowed first by Edward Borough, who died in 1529, and then in 1542 when her second husband, John Neville, Lord Latimer, died. Catherine was a highly educated and deeply religious woman. She had a great influence on the king as his reign ended. She brought the family close together and developed close friendships with Henry's three children.

After Henry died in January 1547, Catherine remarried a former suitor, Thomas, Lord Seymour of Sudeley. She died shortly after giving birth to a daughter in 1549. Works Consulted "Aragon, Catherine of." Encyclopedia Britannica. Vers. 6.0. CD-ROM. 1996. This source tells about the first wife of King Henry VIII. There is information given on her family history. It also includes details of their relationship. "Boleyn, Anne." Encyclopedia Britannica. Vers. 6.0. CD-ROM. 1996. Details of the death of the second wife of King Henry VIII are given by this source. It also includes details about their relationship. There is information about why he broke his ties from the Roman Catholic church. "Cleves, Anne of." Encyclopedia Britannica. Vers. 6.0. CD-ROM. 1996. This is a summary about the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. It tells about her political ties through her family. It includes details about the annulment of their marriage. Dwyer, Frank. Henry VIII. USA: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988.

This book has great pictures and a time line. It is a great source for political details and information about struggles of the era. It includes in-depth details about Henry and his six wives. "Howard, Catherine." Encyclopedia Britannica. Vers. 6.0. CD-ROM. 1996. This source gives information about the fifth wife of Henry VIII. Details are given about her childhood in this summary. It includes details about their relationship and her beheading. Malvern, Gladys. The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Toronto: The Copp Clark Publishing Company, Ltd., 1972. This book profiles each one of Henry VIII's wives. It goes into great detail about the relationships with each. It also gives many personality traits of each wife. Morrison, N. Brysson. The Private Life of Henry VIII. New York: The Vanguard Press, Inc., 1964. King Henry VIII's life is discussed in great detail on this book. It is a great source for facts. This source gives information about his affairs. "Parr, Catherine." Encyclopedia Britannica. Vers. 6.0. CD-ROM. 1996. This is a summary about the sixth wife of Henry VIII.

It tells about her previous marriages. Also included is information on her beneficial influence on the king. *Ridley, Jasper. Henry VIII. USA: R.R. Donnelley and Sons Co., 1964. This book gives an interesting history on King Henry VIII. It is a great source for information. A York and Lancaster family tree is included in this source. "Seymour, Jane." Encyclopedia Britannica. Vers. 6.0. CD-ROM. 1996. This summary includes details about King Henry VIII's only son, provided by his third wife, Jane Seymour. Details about their relationship are given by this source. There is some family history revealed in the summary. Weir, Alison. The Six Wives of Henry VIII. New York: Ballantine Books, 1991. This book profiles King Henry VIII's struggle for an heir to his throne. His trials with the court and Church are also shown in this book. It also has a great time line. Williams, Neville. Henry VIII and His Court. New York: The Macmillan Co., 1971. This source is a depiction of everyday life, family and friends of King Henry VIII.

There are many illustrations in color and black and white in this book. It is also a great source for details. Woodward, G.W.O. King Henry VIII. Great Britain: Pitkin Pictorials, 1991. The history of Henry VIII's life is given in this book. It explains the relationship with each wife. It gives his actions while being king. *Woodward, G.W.O. The Six Wives of Henry VIII. London: Pitkin Pictorials, 1972. There are great pictures included in this source. It also gives a great summary of Henry VIII's six wives. It is a great resource for facts. *Source for visual Anne Boleyn: Facts About the Second Wife of Henry VIII | Primary Facts Anne Boleyn: Facts About the Second Wife of Henry VIII Posted on by James • 7 Comments Here are some facts about Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII. Very little is known about the early years of Anne Boleyn’s life. Historians can’t even agree when Anne was born.

Some think she was born in 1500 or 1501, whereas others think a year of 1507 to be more likely. She was probably born at Blickling Hall in Norfolk. Apparently, Anne was not particularly pretty. Contrary to legend, she probably didn’t have a sixth finger on one of her hands. She was, however, stylish, intelligent and quick-witted. Anne spent time in the household of Henry’s sister, Mary Tudor, who was married to the French King, Louis XII. Anne learned to speak French fluently. Anne’s sister Mary Boleyn was a mistress of Henry VIII. After Henry VIII took an interest in Anne, it was thought that she too would become one of his mistresses. However, this was not the case, and from 1527 onwards, Henry sought to get his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled so he would be in a position to marry Anne. In 1533 Anne and Henry were secretly married. It is thought that Anne was pregnant with Henry’s child at this point. Henry and Catherine were still officially married, but Archbishop Cranmer proclaimed the marriage to be null and void.

Henry’s desire to annul the marriage between himself and Catherine in order to marry Anne, led to the break with Rome. Anne gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth, on August 26th 1533. Anne Boleyn fell pregnant again in 1534 but it either ended in miscarriage or the child being stillborn. In 1535 Anne suffered a miscarriage. King Henry VIII desperately desired a male heir and he started to spend time with one of Anne’s ladies-in-waiting, Jane Seymour. Anne’s enemies at court, particularly Thomas Cromwell, began to plot her downfall. On May 2nd 1536, Anne was arrested at Greenwich, accused of committing adultery, incest and high treason. It was also said that she plotted to kill the King. She was taken to the Tower of London . On Monday 15th Queen Anne Boleyn and her brother were put on trial. Anne was found guilty of committing adultery, despite a significant lack of evidence, and she was executed on the morning of May 19th 1536. Anne’s head and body were placed in an arrow chest and buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula.

Find out about Henry VIII’s other wives by clicking here . You can also check out more of our Tudor resources by visiting this page . Jane Seymour Jane Seymour Third Wife of Henry VIII Jane Seymour, from a 1537 painting. Hulton Fine Art Collection/Imagno/Getty Images By Jone Johnson Lewis About Jane Seymour: Known for: third wife of King Henry VIII of England; Jane bore a much-wanted son as heir (the future Edward VI) Occupation: queen consort (third) to England's King Henry VIII; had been a maid of honor to both Catherine of Aragon (from 1532) and Anne Boleyn Dates: 1508 or 1509 - October 24 , 1537; became queen by marriage on May 30 , 1536, when she married Henry VIII; proclaimed queen on June 4 , 1536; never crowned as queen Jane Seymour Biography: Brought up as a typical noble woman of her time, Jane Seymour became a maid of honor to Queen Catherine (of Aragon) in 1532.

After Henry had his marriage to Catherine annulled in 1532, Jane Seymour became a maid of honor to his second wife, Anne Boleyn. In February of 1536, as Henry VIII's interest in Anne Boleyn waned and it became apparent that she would not bear a male heir for Henry, the court noticed Henry's interest in Jane Seymour. Marriage to Henry VIII: Anne Boleyn was convicted of treason and executed on May 19, 1536. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Henry announced his betrothal to Jane Seymour the next day, May 20. They were married on May 30 and Jane Seymour was pronounced Queen Consort on June 4, which was also the public announcement of the marriage. She was never officially crowned as queen, perhaps because Henry was waiting until after the birth of a male heir for such a ceremony. Jane Seymour's court was far more subdued than Anne Boleyn's. She apparently intended to avoid many of the errors made by Anne. During her brief reign as Henry's queen, Jane Seymour had worked to bring peace between Henry's eldest daughter, Mary, and Henry.

Jane had Mary brought to court and worked to get her named as Henry's heir after any of Jane and Henry's offspring. Birth of Edward: Clearly, Henry married Jane Seymour primarily to bear a male heir. He was successful in his when, on October 12, 1537, Jane Seymour gave birth to a prince, Edward, the male heir Henry so desired. Jane Seymour had also worked to reconcile Henry with his daughter Elizabeth, and Jane invited Elizabeth to the prince's christening. The baby was christened October 15, and then Jane fell ill with puerperal fever, a complication of childbirth. She died on October 24, 1537. The Lady Mary (future Queen Mary I ) served as chief mourner at Jane Seymour's funeral. Henry After Jane's Death: Henry's reaction after Jane's death lends credence to the idea that he loved Jane -- or at least appreciated her role as mother of his only surviving son. He went into mourning for three months. Soon after, Henry began searching for another appropriate wife, but he did not remarry for three years, when he married Anne of Cleves (and shortly thereafter regretted that decision).

When Henry died, ten years after Jane's death, he had himself buried with her. Jane's Brothers: Two of Jane's brothers are noted for using Henry's ties to Jane for their own advancement. Thomas Seymour, Jane's brother, married Henry's widow and sixth wife, Catherine Parr . Edward Seymour, also a brother of Jane Seymour, served as Protector -- more like a regent -- for Edward VI after Henry's death. Both these brothers' attempts to exercise power came to bad ends: both were eventually executed. Jane Seymour Facts: Background, Family: Mother: Margery Wentworth, a direct descendant through her father of Edward III of England (making Jane a fifth cousin twice removed to her husband Henry VIII) Father: Sir John Seymour, Wiltshire Jane's great-grandmother, Elizabeth Cheney , was also great-grandmother to Anne Boleyn , Henry's second wife, and to Catherine Howard , Henry's fifth wife. Marriage, Children: husband: Henry VIII of England (married May 20, 1536) children: BBC History - Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII and the mother of Elizabeth I.

Henry's desire to divorce his first wife and marry Anne helped bring about the English Reformation. She was the first English queen to be publicly executed. Image: Anne Boleyn by unknown artist (Getty Images) Introduction Who exactly was Anne Boleyn, the young woman who took the Tudor court by storm? Who exactly was Anne Boleyn, the young woman who took the Tudor court by storm? More information about: Anne Boleyn There is some dispute over the year in which Anne was born – most likely between 1501 and 1507. Anne's father was the courtier and diplomat, Sir Thomas Boleyn and her mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of the Duke of Norfolk. Childhood Anne spent some of her childhood and teenage years in Europe she was a lady-in-waiting to Archduchess Margaret in the Netherlands. In 1514, Anne's father arranged for her to be a lady-in-waiting at the French court to Queen Mary, King Henry VIII's younger sister. She later served Queen Claude of France for almost seven years.

Henry VIII On her return to England in 1522, Anne was appointed as lady-in-waiting to Henry VIII's wife Catherine of Aragon. Anne's striking looks and sophisticated manners earned her many admirers at court and by 1523 she was betrothed to Lord Henry Percy. However this relationship was cut short by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Before pursuing Anne, Henry VIII had already had an affair with her sister, Mary. Henry showered Anne and her family with titles and gifts. Anne's ambitious father was created Earl of Wiltshire and her brother, Lord George Rochford, was appointed to the Royal Privy Chamber. Henry VIII had grown tired of his wife, as she had not produced a male heir. He appealed to Pope Clement VII for an annulment to his marriage so that he could marry Anne. The Pope refused to annul the marriage as he was afraid to go against the will of Catherine's nephew Charles V, The Holy Roman Emperor. Marriage Although she resisted Henry VIII's advances, by 1533 Anne was pregnant with her first child. Henry was forced into action.

In January 1533 Henry VIII and Anne were married in a secret ceremony and Henry broke with the Catholic Church. He passed the Act of Supremacy, declaring that he was the head of the English church. In June 1533 Anne was crowned Queen of England in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Henry and Anne's daughter Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth I) was born in September 1533. Two more pregnancies ended in miscarriage, in the summer of 1534 and in January 1536. When Henry discovered the second baby had been a boy, he became convinced the marriage was cursed. Henry was still desperate for a male heir and he blamed Anne for this misfortune. He took on Anne’s lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour as his mistress and looked for a way to end his marriage. Downfall In April 1536, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton, Mark Smeaton, Sir Henry Norris and Anne's brother Lord Rochford were arrested on suspicion of having had relations with the Queen. Anne was investigated by a secret commission which included her father, her uncle the Duke of Norfolk and Thomas Cromwell .

On 2 May 1536 Anne was arrested on charges of adultery with five men including her own brother, Lord George Rochford. At the trial, presided over by the Duke of Norfolk, Anne was accused of adultery and witchcraft. She was convicted and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Death On 19th May Anne was led from her quarters to Tower Green where, spared the axe, she was granted the 'mercy' of beheading by a French swordsman. Anne was the first English queen to be publicly executed. Rather than deny her guilt, she used her final moments to deliver a speech praising King Henry VIII, stating that, "a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord."

Question: Who was the third wife of Henry V111
Answer: Jane Seymour